8 unusual makeup bag items that are also eco-friendly

Guest post by Lucy Zender, creator and founder of Tweezerfile.

Sadly, sustainability is rarely top of the list for cosmetics and beauty brands. Too often products are designed to be thrown away after they’ve been used, while you rush to the shop to buy a replacement. Good for business but not necessarily your pocket… or the environment. 

If you are thinking of upping your game when it comes to helping the planet, but still want to look your best, here are some quirky bits you should think about adding to your vanity case: 

1. Boost skin health

A jade facial roller used daily provides a ‘work-out’ for your skin, boosting circulation, eliminating puffiness, providing a sculpted look, and making you glow! 

It also has great anti-aging effects, without the need to coat your skin in chemicals; improving texture and tone, plumping fine lines, and reducing persistent wrinkles. You can put it in the fridge before use for even better results with tightening and relaxing.

Available from a variety of outlets including CultBeauty, Look Fantastic, and SpaceNK. 

2. Avoid mascara mess

In 2018, Woosh Beauty launched an innovation that became something of an Instagram sensation, including receiving praise from the British Beauty Council. It is a shield that not only protects your lids from smudged mascara, it also helps separate the lashes as you apply them.

You can use it on both the top and bottom lashes and it even has a handle that can be used as a lash and brow comb. 

Available from Woosh Beauty and Amazon. 

3. Remove makeup sustainably

Small products do big damage environmentally, including facial wipes and cotton pads that are used to remove makeup, etc. But you probably already know that. What might be news is that there is now a large variety of reusable makeup pads on the market.

When you get home from work or an evening out, use one of these beauties to take off your makeup and most of them can simply be thrown into the washing machine.

Some even come with little wash bags to put them in when washing – practical and cute! (Do check the washing instructions before you buy, though, as some require hand washing, which doesn’t work for everyone.)

They will last for up to about a thousand washes, which means you can use them over and over again for years.

If you are taking them out and about in your cosmetic bag, small pads like the ones from Tabitha Eve are the ideal size.

4. Eco-friendly q-tip

A good old cotton bud has been a lifesaver for most of us at some point! You’ve done your whole face and smudged your eyeshadow, but a quick precision swipe can prevent you from having to start again from scratch.

However, unless you are ridiculously fastidious, these little buds tend to get ingrained with left-behind makeup mess, go fluffy and fester at the bottom of the bag so when you really need them, they can be worse than useless.

Also, the accumulation of these little bits of single-use plastic is a considerable contributor to the problems we are facing environmentally.

LastSwab is a sanitary and reusable bud, or q-tip, which can be cleaned using soap and water. They even come in a small, convenient carrying case, which means they can stay clean in your makeup bag and LastSwab replaces a massive 1,000 single-use cotton swabs!

5. Biodegradable wipes

Your favourite makeup bag will almost certainly have residue of makeup kicking around in it that has been there far too long. And that’s a potential problem. After all, if you are applying makeup to skin that has recently been thoroughly cleansed or plucked, you don’t want old make up coming into close contact with open pores or follicles.

A small amount of contamination can result in infection, which could end up looking rather unsightly. I recommend cleaning your bag, products, and applicators regularly. If you’re applying your makeup at home, detergent and water is easy enough but when you’re out and about, I suggest wipes after each use, too.

The Cheeky Panda supplies 100% biodegradable wipes, infused with purified water and natural antibacterial agents. Use your brushes, pencils, tweezers; then wipe, flush and go!

6. Makeup spatula

You’re probably throwing away a lot of makeup that is left at the bottom of tubs and tubes, without really knowing it. I recommend cutting open your old tubes and scooping out what you can no longer squeeze out to make sure you waste less of your favorite products and save yourself money at the same time.

That’s what makes a makeup spatula a great value purchase and one you will use over and over again, once you realise how much product you are wasting ordinarily. The Every Drop Beauty Spatula by Every Drop is available online from Amazon.

7. Sharp tweezers

A stray eyebrow hair, applying false lashes or even for plucking out the odd grey from your hairline will undoubtedly find you reaching for your tweezers. But what if you go to do your essential task and your tweezers are too blunt? Don’t throw them out – sharpen them! As the name suggests, Tweezerfile is a file for your tweezers and just a few strokes up and down will restore your favorite tweezers to their former glory, meaning you can get at even the most stubborn little hair.

As an added bonus, you can use Tweezerfile as a nail file too so if you discover a snag on the way to meeting your girlfriends for dinner or drinks – or even a hot date – this handy little tool can sort that out too.

8. Don’t forget to sparkle

Ok, so not your day-to-day necessity but we could all do with some sparkle from time-to-time. If you’re heading to a festival or think you might go from pub to club, EcoStardust comes in handy little pots that will sit comfortably inside your makeup bag “just in case”. Many glitter makeup products contain a lot of plastic but there are eco-friendly versions available made from plant cellulose which is 100% biodegradable.

So, with these little beauties in your makeup bag, you can stay looking your beautiful best while helping the planet! 

ABOUT TWEEZERFILE

Tweezerfile is an award-winning and innovative new beauty product that allows you to sharpen your old blunt tweezers and bring them back to life. Hold your tweezers with the blades together, then slide the tweezer up and down the Tweezerfile, gently applying equal pressure on the top and bottom blade. After a few strokes, your tweezers will be back to their old glory, gripping even the shortest hair! Available in two beautiful colors, coral and petrol blue. Available via Tweezerfile.com and from Amazon. 

Web: https://www.tweezerfile.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tweezerfile/ 

Beauty Awards:

The Beauty Awards 2019 – Highly Commended

Global Makeup Awards 2019 – Silver 

Pure Beauty Awards London 2019 – Bronze